Clocks back not good for our Health

A UK Expert, Dr Mayer Hillman of the Policies Studies Institute in London has said not putting our clocks back this weekend and still putting them forward next Spring would be a simple way to vastly improve our wellbeing and health.

As this would increase our outdoor accessibility in terms of daylight, it would encourage more outdoor activity and sports.

Dr Hillman pointed out that lack of exercise is a major contributing factor for chronic illnesses.

Adults are advised to partake in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day, while children are encouraged to do one hours activity per day – many people are falling short on this advice.

Although most people are aware of the benefits of this exercise – lower blood pressure, less risk of obesity, Diabetes and heart disease, this routine does not feature in a high percentage of people’s daily lives.

During the Summer and ‘brighter’ months, there is a lower sickness rate, people feel happier and more energetic, but moods tend to lower in the darker Winter months.

Dr Hillman states – Taking account of the typical daily patterns of adults and children, the clock change ‘would considerably increase opportunities for outdoor leisure activities – about 300 additional hours of daylight for adults each year and 200 more for children’, he said.

“Adopting the clock change proposal is an effective, practical and remarkably easily managed way of achieving a better alignment of our waking hours with the available daylight during the year. It must be rare to find a means of vastly improving the health and wellbeing of nearly everyone in the population – and at no cost. Here we have it,” he concluded.